Beef and Potato Empanadas With Salsa Picante

Yet another traditional Colombian dish that I learned to make from my mother-in-law. To eat, put a little bit of the picante on each bite. It's one of my favorite meals.**Just a note, until the elves edit this for me, it should be 1/2 lb hamburger meat, not 1 lb. Sorry about that!**

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 6 empanadas

Ingredients

• For the Salsa Picante

• 1  large  white onion, finely chopped
• 3  large tomatoes, diced
• 1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 -2  jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (depending on how hot you want it)
• 2  limes, juice of
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste

• For the filling

• 1⁄2 lb hamburger meat
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 2  medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons  goya adobo seasoning, with comino (seasoning mix made by Goya)
• 1 (2 g) package  goya sazon goya with coriander and annatto (another Goya mix)
•  water

• For the Dough

• 2  cups  pre-cooked white cornmeal (I use the brand P.A.N.)
• 2 1⁄2 cups water
• 1  teaspoon salt
•  vegetable oil

Directions

1. To Prepare the Salsa Picante.
2. Prepare the day before you plan to make the empanadas.
3. In a medium sized container with a lid, mix all ingredients for the salsa picante.
4. Cover tightly, and put in the fridge for at least overnight, preferably a bit longer, in order to let the flavors blend.
5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
6. To Prepare the Filling.
7. In large skillet, sauté hamburger meat, onions, and garlic over medium heat until the hamburger meat is crumbled up and browned.
8. In a large pot, combine the browned meat mixture with the remaining filling ingredients.
9. Cover mixture with 1/2 inch of water and bring to boil.
10. Let boil for one minute, then cover and turn heat to low.
11. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the water is absorbed.
12. If the water boils out before the potatoes are tender, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time until the potatoes are tender and the water is all absorbed.
13. When the filling is ready, turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
14. To Prepare the Dough:
15. While the filling mixture is cooling, combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl.
16. Knead until smooth and form.
17. When the filling mixture is cooled to room temperature, divide dough into 6 equal parts.
18. Roll each part up into a ball, and shape into a circle, approximately 1/8" inch thick (I use my hands for this, I find that a rolling pin only sticks to the dough).
19. In the center of each circle, place approximately 2 Tbsp of filling.
20. (Leave a margin of about 1/4-1/2" around the filling, in order to fold the empanada).
21. Fold the dough in half, so it covers the filling.
22. Pinch the edges together.
23. If there are any cracks in the dough, or around the edges, simply put a little bit of water on your finger and smooth the cracks together.
24. Deep fry the empanadas in hot vegetable oil until the outsides are golden brown.
25. Serve with Salsa Picante.